Electrical vegetation-exterminator



'(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

M..-S.'GUMMINGS. ELEGTRIGAL VBGETATION EXTBRMINATOR.

,671. Patented Aug. 11, 1896 Q (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. v

M. s. CUMMINGS. ELBGTRIGAL'VEGETATION EXTERMINATOR.

Patented Aug. 11, 1896.

UNITED PAT NT OFFICE.

'MARSHALS. CUMMINGS, on THOMASVILLE, GEORGIA.

ELECTRICAL VEGETATION-FEXTERM'INATOR.

srncrrrcarron forming part of Letters Pate'nt No. 565,871, dated August 11, 1896, c

Application filed April 30, 1896 .70 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, MARSHAL S. CUMMINGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Thomasville, in the county of Thomas and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Electrical Vegetation-Exterminator, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electrical vegetation-exterminators; and it has for its object to provide a new and useful apparatus of this- -character designed especially for use in connection with railways and providing simple and efficient m'eansfor positively exterminating all vegetation on or adjacent to the track, but it will of course be obvious that the ap-' paratus may be used in connection with a'vehicle on any road-bed to provide for freeing such road-bed of obnoxious and undesirable vegetable growth.

Withthese and'other objects in view, which will readily. app ar as the nature of the in.- vention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a complete electrical apparatus forexterminating vegetation constructed in accordance With this invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of the apparatus-car, illustrating in side elevation the current-distributer of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the current-distributer on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig.4 is a detail sectional viewon the line 4 at of Fig. 1, illustrating in elevation the advance dampening device or sprinkler of the apparatus. .Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail end.

' Referring :to .th eaccompanying drawings,

viewof the currentdistributes .part oi the apparatus. Fig 6 is an enlarged detail elevation of theifreturncircuit brushes and the mountings therefor.

1 designates-Jan ordinary railroad-track, on

' which is illustrated a train of cars comprising an ordinary ocomotive 2, a tender 3:, and an apparatus car 4:, which is especially adapted for carrying the principal part of the exter-- minating apparatus. The apparatus-car 4 may be of any suitable construction and is designed tocarry therein an ordinary dynamo or electrical generator 5, directly geared with an engine 6,.mounted within the card, and

side to insure a proper distribution orfi'di's are designed to directlyfcontact with and trail by the vegetation on and directly adjacent to SerialNmdBQfllZ. (NomodeL) receiving its supply of steam from a steam supply pipe 7, leading' from the car at to t locomotive 2, and preferably having a su able connection 8 with the. steam-dome the locomotive-boiler, whereby steam be conducted directly from the locomotiveboiler to the engine 6, to provide means for operating said engine and tra 'mitting mo tion to the electrical genera :5. -which" in v turn creates a powerful cur-re adapted to be conducted tot be destroyed, and in conne electrical generator is empl distributer 10. y I v The current-diStributer'lO isesigned to be arranged transversely of the track 1,-belowthe car 4, at a convenient point, and said dis tributer essentially comprisesla straight con: tinuous wood or other insulated holder-bar 11, and a laminated copper or other suitable: metallic distributing-plate 12, fitted at its upper edge in a longitudinal groove or kerf 13, formed in the lower side of the said holder- 7 5 bar 11.

The laminated copper or other metallic distributing-plate 12 preferably consists 'j of a plurality of copper plates arranged side-by 8o charge of the electric .current to the vegeta-' tion, and'said distributingplate 12 is cutso as to-be provided with a-series of depending V-shaped or triangular brush-points 14,'which" over the vegetation on andsurrounding the track,'.ii1 order to .directly'conductithe e1ec-' 'tricity thion'gh such, vegetation into theground.- The pointed distributing-plate 12 has a binding-screw"counectieri 15 therewith,

9 to which binding-screw connection 1s con;

. nected one terminal of the conductor-whee,-

leading from the electrical generatoro within the car, 4, to provide for conductingthe current of electricity directly tot'iie distributing 5 platg a I a Y' The] current-distributer 1O is of a greater length than the width of the track, so as to project beyond both sides of the track, wherewe the track will ,be reached, and the holder-baroi said distributeriitted thereto a-pair vertical adjustment on a be noted that current-distributer allows such distributor a react/i 1 one end of a connecting-rod 21, the other end of which connecting-rod 21 has a suitable connection with an adjustingdever 22-, mounted -Within the car 4 and providing means for raising and lowering the current-distributer, so that the same maybe made to clear obstructions-such as switches, frogs, cattleguards, and the lil e-and'at this point it will the pivotal support 1'7 for the free swinging movement, so that the same mayreadily trail over the vegetation and small obstructions.

The return-circuit wire I) of the electrical generator 5 leads from the point of connection with the generator 5 to a vertically-adjustable brush-holder bar 23, mounted for pair of depending supporting-bars 24:, mounted atthe under side of the car t in advance of the currentdistributer. The said brush-holder bar 23 has suitably attach ed thereto a pair of spaced.

' metallic return-circuit brushes 25, arranged one in advance of the other and designed to contact with the ground to provide the necessary ground connection for completing the electrical circuit, and by arranging the said br shes 25'one in advance of the other it will .be obvious that if the said brushes trail over the of the railroad-ties one of said brushes will always be'in direct contact with the ground, as plainly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, so asenot to interrupt the electrical circuit.

In connection with the current-distributer and its electrical connections is'employed a dampening device essentially consisting of a perforate distrib iting pipe 26, arranged transversely of the track and preferably suspended from beneath the tender 3, so as to travel in advance of the current-distributor. The perforate distributing or sprinklingpipe 26 has connected thereto at an intermediate point, as at 27, a'water-snpply pipe 28, which pipe also has a connection with the ordinary Water-tank of the tender 3, and is provided ,witha controllinga ve 29, which provides 'for shutting oift'r; -.ipply of water from the sprinkler or dampening device when the apparatus is used in wet weather.

A steamjet pipe 30 leads from a point of steam supply in the locomotive, preferably from the pipe at the point 31-, and provides means for disening device or sprinkler charging a jet of steam into the water-pipe so as to force thewater out of the perfora tions of the pipe 26 in a fine spray.

In the operation of the apparatus the dampprovides for waterters Patent, is-l 7, to the water-supply pipe 28 ing or dampening the vegetation in advance of the on rrent-distributer 10, so that such cur rent-distributer will trail directly over wet vegetation and will thereby beniuch more effective in discharging the'current. through such vegetation "than would be the case if the vegetation 'were perfectly dry, as will be readily understood by thoset'skilled' in the art. The direct contact of the brush-points of the current-distributor with the vegetation providesfor the free discharge of the electric current generated by the generator through the vegetation and into the ground, the powerful electric current destroying the life of the vegetation and causing the same to be immediately exterminator], and the trailing return-circuit brushes 25 by contacting with the ground complete the necessary electrical circuit to insure the discharge of the current from the distributor. At'this point it willbc noted that in wet weather the dampening or sprinlrlingdevice need not necessarily be em ployed.

Changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction. may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the vention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Let- 1. In a vegetation-enters:inatgr, the combination with a vehicle carrying an electrical generator; of a current-distributor adjustably suspended from the vehicle so as to contact with adjacentfvegetation andincluded in the circuit of said generator, and a dampening device supported to travel above the ground in advance of said distributer, substantially as set forth.

2. In a vegetation-exterminator, the 00111- bination with a vehicle carrying an electrical generator; of a current'distributer suspended from the vehicle and comprising an insulated holder-bar and a distributor-plate fitted in said bar and provided with a series of depending V-shaped brush-points adapted to trail over adjacent vegetation, adjusting mechanism connected with the distributor, a ground connection'suspended'from the vehicle in advance of the distributer, and electrical connections'between the generator, the current-distributor, and said ground connections, substantially asset forth.

3. In a vegetation-exterminator, the combination with a current-distributing device, of a dampening devicearranged to travel .in advance of the distributing device and consisting of a horizontal perforate distributingpipe, a water-supply pipe, connected with said distributing-pipe, and a steam-jet pipe connected with said water-supply pipe, substantial] y as set forth.

4. In a vegetation-exterminator, the combination with a vehicle carrying an electrical generator; of; a current-distributor adjustably suspended from the vehicle and in cluded'withih the circuit of said generator,

and a pair of return-circuit brushes adjustthe presence of two Witnesses. ably suspended froni the vehicle in advance of said 'distributer, and also included within I MARSHAL CUMMINGS 5 the circuit of said generator, substantially as \Vitnesses:

set forth.

- t c B. F. HAWKINS, I In testimony that I claim the foregoing as S. P. Doss.

my own I hate hereto affixed my sighat-ure in 

